Chassis or car body underframe



NW. 10, 1942. sc A CHASSIS OR CAR BODY UNDERFRAME Filed Dec. 16, 1939 5Sheets-Sheet l Inventor: Kurf Schfifer Alfie/may NOV. 10, 1942. SCHAFERCHASSIS OR CAR BODY UNDERFRAME Filed Dec. 16, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 r ef a In C s T r U K onluoc lineal Nov. 10, 1942. K. SCHAFER 2,301,330

CHASSIS 0R GAR BODY UNDERFRAME Filed Dec. 16, 1959 s Sheets-Sheet 3Patented Nov. 10, 1942 Kurt Schafer, Berlin-Eic signer to Edward G. Bu

pany, Philadelphia, Pa.

Application December 16, 1939, Serial No. 309,529 In Germany December12, 1938 18 Claims.

may be designed to extend from the front to the rear beyond the roundprincipal member.

The continuous portions of the projections are preferably given anX-shape inside the round principal member, or else other diagonal bracesare provided inside the principal member.

The projections are only required to extend into part of the roundmember and may be connected with transverse girders provided inside theround member.

The round principal member may be preferably either box-shaped ortubular cross section.

According to the invention, the projections may be led into the interiorof the round member above the round member and bent off here downwardly.

According to the further invention, a tube or duct for the Cardan shaftmay be provided in the longitudinal axis of the round principal member.Inside the round principal member, substantially on its underside, apreferably trough-shaped floor member may be provided.

According to the further invention, also the projections may be ofeither box-shaped or tubular design, preferably in such a manner as tobe formed by two bent side members of U-shaped section and by anintermediate member of U- shaped horizontal projection and also U-shapedcross section.

According to the further invention, the round central principal membermay be widened downwardly at the front culminating point and upwardly atthe rear culminating point.

Further the invention provides that one or several joints of the membersfrom which the round central principal member is formed may be arrangedin, or close to, the lateral culminating point.

Preferably at the front and/or rear culminating points, the two U-shapedmembers forming the round principal member of box-shaped cross sectionare widened either upwards and hkamp, Germany, asdd ManufacturingComother downwards to allow the Cardan shaft to pass through.

When the car body panel is made from plastics, the panel is preferablyprovided with a projection leaning against the outer edge of the roundcentral member, another flange resting on this member.

In the accompanying drawings the invention is shown by a number ofexamples, of which Fig. l is a plan view of a chassis made in accordancewith the invention;

Figs. 2 to 5 are sectional views of lateral frame members in connectionwith side panels and flooring;

Figs. 6 and 60: show two different methods of securing front and/or rearcantilevers to the central frame member.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the front portion of Fig. 1;

' Figs. 8 and 9 are sectional views of two other forms of the centralframe and car body underframes respectively;

Figs. 10 and 11 show plan views of two different slight modifications ofthe chassis shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 12 is a sectional view on the line i2i2 of Fig 11;

Figs. 13 to 15 show other forms of the device shown in Fig. 12.

Figs. 16 and 16a show. two different forms of a bottom member for thecentral frame and its connection with a reinforcing member.

Fig. 17 shows another modification of shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 18 is a sectional View on the line 18-48 of Fig. 17;

Fig. 19 is a sectional view on the line iii-l9 of Fig. 17;

Fig. 20 is a sectional view of another form of the car body frame,similar to that shown in Fig. 10;

Fig. 21 is a longitudinal section through a device resembling the designshown in Fig. 8;

Fig. 22 is a perspective view of another form the type of frame made inaccordance with the invention;

Fig. 23 is an enlarged section of the device shown in Fig. 22.

In Figs. 1 and 7, l designates an elliptic central member of a frame towhich are connected two front cantilevers 2 and two rear cantilevers 3and in which are provided two stiifeners 4 which form together twodiagonal stays to which the inner ends of cantilevers 2 and 3 aresecured. To allow the Cardan shaft to pass through, the

downwards or one of them upwards and-the frame member I is here crankeddownwards at the front and upwards at the rear. The cantilevers 2 and 3extend beyond the frame member I and are cranked downwards within thisportion of the frame, The members I to d are either U-shaped orbox-shaped.

In Fig. 2 the elliptic member 5 is box-shaped and provided with anoutwardly extending double flange E. The outer panel 1 of the car bodyis secured to the flange 6, while the bottom 8 is placed on the majorpart of the box-shaped girder 5 or secured to it by welding, riveting, bing, or the like.

In Fig. 3, the elliptic frame member 9 is of Z-shaped design andprovided with a flange If) to which the outer panel II is secured.

In Fig. 4, two Z-shaped members i2, 13 are connected to form a box whichshows an upper outside double flange l4 and a lower double flange I5.The outer skin It is, at the bottom, secured to the double flange M, thebottom if resting on the double flange Hi.

In Fig. 5, an angular girder member i8 is united with a bent angularmember l9 to form a box-shaped elliptic girder. The outer panel 29 whichis here intended to be made from plastics shows a lower shoulder 2! anda flange 22 by which the panel rests here on the extreme edge of thebox-shaped girder.

Fig. 6 shows an elliptic box frame 23, a boxshaped transverse member 24,a cantilever 25 secured to the top of members 23 and M; Fig. 6a shows acantilever 26 secured to the underside of members 23 and 2t.

In Fig. '7, an engine trough 2? rests on the front cantilever 2.

In Fig. 8, the bottom 28 is provided with an angular shoulder 29. Si] isan angular elliptic member to which the likewise elliptic member 28, 29may be secured. The transverse girder 3| corresponds substantially tothe transverse girder 24.

In Fig. 9, two elliptical anguiar members 32, 33 are joined with eachother to form a box, in a similar manner as shown in Fig. At as a jointof the angular members 32 and 33 respectively is shown.

In Fig. 10, two joints are provided at 35, 36 which are located in thealmost rectilinear portion of the ellipse, i. e., which is leastaffected. The front and rear cantilevers 36 and 3'! are fastened in thisembodiment to the cross stays 38 within the elliptic portion, and theymay be made continuous, as indicated at 35, e. g., by being passedthrough below the cross stays 38. If, in this case, a continuous bottomplate is provided, a duct 4!] may be provided in the bottom plate, whichduct is eventually covered below, thus becoming resistant to torsion. Aduct of this type may be also provided independently of the bottom.

In Fig. 11, the cantilevers 4|, 42 are extending continuously from frontto rear; inside the elliptic member 43 they converge to form an X, andin the center they are connected with each other by top and bottom coverplates M, as shown in Fig. 12. The Cardan shaft 45 passes here betweenthe girders. The longitudinally extending members El, 62 are in thiscase lowered inside the elliptic member 53 such an amount as to extendunderneath the cross girders 46.

Figs. 13, 14.- and show various profiles of front and rear cantilevers,no matter if they extend from front to rear or terminate within theelliptic member.

Fig. 16 shows a trough-shaped member 41 ill which correspondssubstantially to member 28 shown in Fig. 8. This member is here shown infull lines as resting on and being connected to a box-sectional marginalmember 48. The Figure 16a shows an angular member 59 which correspondssubstantially to member 30 shown in Fig. 8 as being fastened to themember 41. The transverse girder 56 shows here a U-shaped section openon top, as contrasted with the transverse girder 3| shown in Fig. 8 andhaving a cross section open at the bottom.

In Fig. 17, the front cantilevers 5i consist of a common member 52 ofU-shaped cross section and also U-shaped in horizontal projection, andof single channel members encircling this member and the ends of whichadapt themselves to the shape of the elliptic central member 54; if themember 54 is of equal U-shaped design, they may also be connected withit to form a box, as shown in Fig. 19. The rear cantilevers 55 shown inFig. 1'7 are designed similarly to members 53 of the front cantilevers,while specially molded members 58 are provided between the cantilevers55 with a view to further support the cantilevers in relation to theelliptic frame member. The front and rear cantilevers may be either ofequal or different shapes.

Fig. 20 shows an elliptical girder 51 which in its center is bentdownwards in the front at 58 and upwards in the rear at 59, so that theCardan shaft 66 extends in front above the frame and in the rearunderneath the frame. Accordingly the transverse girders iii are alsobent downwards in their center. Both the front and rear cantilevers 62and 63 are here shown as continuous girders; beside the deflection ofthe transverse girders fil the cantilevers 62, 63 extend below thelatter. The cantilever 83 may be passed above the frame 51, and thecantilever $2 below this frame.

Fig. 21 shows a device which corresponds substantially to Fig. 8. Here,a number of transverse girders, 55, 66, 61, and 68, are provided, whichmay be adapted to secure the front and rear cantilevers 69, 10 and/or tocarry the seats.

Figs. 22 and 23 are perspective views indicating that the ellipticalcentral member H is embraced from outside by the front and rearcantilevers 12, 13, the elliptic member being devised as box-shaped and,as particularly shown in Fig. 23, consisting of two U-shaped members f4,15 which are bent off upwards and downwards for allowing the Cardanshaft to pass through. However, for instance, only one member may bebent off, While the other may extend rectilinearly; in this case, theupward bend would be in front and the downward bend in the rear, whilein front the lower member 15 would take a rectilinear course and in therear the member '14.

It is understood that the elliptical member may also have another roundshape. It is of importance that the frame, seen from the interior of theprincipal member, is substantially concave at all points.

I claim:

1. In a vehicle frame structure such as a combined body and chassisframe structure, comprising a substantially flat principal part beinggenerally oval in plan view and substantially concave at all points whenviewed from the center of the frame, the maximum diameter of saidprincipal part being essentially smaller than the total length of thestructure, said principal part defining the outer contour of the centralsection of the' frame structure, rigid cantilever members projecting atleast beyond one end of said principal part in the general longitudinaldirection of the frame structure and being connected to said principalpart, two cantilever members which extend beyond the one end of theprincipal part being spaced from each other for less than the greatesttransverse width of the principal part, said cantilever members beingadapted for connection to road wheels of the vehicle.

2. A vehicle frame structure, as claimed in claim 1, characterizedinthat said cantilever members are connected to the principal part infront and in the rear for supporting the front and rear wheels and foraccommodating the motor and other parts of the driving and running gear.

3. A vehicle frame structure, as claimed in claim 1, characterized inthat sill members extend continuously longitudinally across and at thefront and rear beyond the principal part, those portions of the sillswhich extend beyond the principal part forming said cantilever members.

4. A vehicle frame structure, as claimed in claim 1, characterized inthat portions of the cantilever members extend only across a portion ofthe length of the principal part.

5. A vehicle frame structure, as claimed in claim 1, characterized inthat transverse girders are provided within and extend across theprincipal part.

6. A vehicle frame structure, as claimed in claim 1, characterized inthat the principal part comprises a marginal hollow, such as closedboxsectional, sill structure.

7. A vehicle frame structure, as claimed in claim 1, characterized inthat transverse girder structures are provided Within and extendingacross the principal part, which girder structures support the innerportions of the cantilever members extending into the confines of theprincipal part.

8. A vehicle frame structure, as claimed in claim 1, characterized inthat the cantilever members are arranged above and extend into theconfines of the principal part, and are here bent off downwardly.

9. A vehicle frame structure, as claimed in claim 1, characterized inthat in the longitudinal axis of the principal part a tube or duct isproduced for the Cardan shaft.

10. A vehicle frame structure, as claimed inclaim 1, characterized inthat also the cantilever members are of box-sectional or tubular design.

11. A vehicle frame structure, as claimed in claim 1, characterized inthat the cantilever 3 members are formed by two bent side members ofU-shaped cross section and by an intermediate member of U-shapedhorizontal projection and likewise U-shaped cross section.

12. A vehicle frame structure, as claimed in claim 1, characterized inthat the central principal part is bent downwardly in the frontculminating point and upwardly in the rear culminating point.

13. A vehicle frame structure, as claimed in claim 1, characterized inthat a joint between members forming the central principal part isarranged in the region of a lateral culminating point.

14. A vehicle frame structure according to claim 1 in which saidprincipal part has reinforced marginal portions substantially throughoutof equal Width and height.

15. A vehicle frame structure as claimed in claim 1, characterized bydiagonal members extending across the principal part and having thecantilever members fastened thereto.

16. A vehicle frame structure, as claimed in claim 1, characterized inthat the cantilever members have their inner portions joined to bracingmeans extending across the principal part in a generally longitudinaldirection of the vehicle, and in that the said bracing means are ofX-shaped design within the confines of the principal part.

17. A vehicle frame structure, as claimed in claim 1, characterized inthat the central principal part is vertically bent in at least one ofthe end culminating points so as to allow the arrangement of drivingmeans.

18. In a vehicle frame structure such as a combined body and chassisframe structure, comprising a substantially flat principal part beinggenerally oval in plan view and substantially concave at all points whenviewed from the center of the frame, the maximum diameter of saidprincipal part being essentially smaller than the total length of thestructure, said principal part defining the outer contour of the centralsection of the frame structure, rigid cantilever means projecting atleast beyond one end of said principal part in the general longitudinaldirection of the frame structure and being connected to said principalpart, the transverse width of said cantilever means being substantiallyless than the greatest transverse width of the principal part, saidcantilever means being adapted for connection to parts of the drivingand running gear of the vehicle, such as to the motor or to the roadWheels.

KURT SCHAFE" R.

